Seat belt guide loop

Abstract

A seat belt guide loop is comprised of a stamped metal bracket having an aperture adapted to receive a bolt for pivotally mounting the guide loop on a vehicle body pillar. The stamped metal bracket has a belt slot therein of a width somewhat greater than the width of the belt and a height greater than the thickness of the belt. A molded plastic cover is molded in situ upon the stamped metal bracket and overlies the lower wall of the belt slot to define a low friction wall over which the belt is slidable. This plastic cover has a clearance slot which underlies the low friction wall and cooperates therewith to define a plastic bridge integral with and supporting the low friction wall. The clearance slot is of a width somewhat less than the width of the belt. When the belt is loaded during the restraint of an occupant, the plastic bridge elastically yields whereby the low friction wall bows into a curvilinear sagging configuration by which the belt is induced to remain in the center of the belt slot against any tendency to migrate to a bunched up condition at one end of the belt slot.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A guide loop adapted for pivotal mounting on a vehicle body pillar to mount a seat belt for sliding movement therethrough comprising a stamped metal bracket having a belt slot therein and a molded plastic cover enclosing the belt slot and defining a low friction wall over which the belt is slidable, said plastic cover having a clearance slot underlying the low friction wall and cooperating therewith to define a plastic bridge integral with and supporting the low friction wall, said bridge being elastically yieldable in response to a belt load imposed on the guide loop during restraint of an occupant by the seat belt whereby the low friction wall is bowed into a curvilinear sagging configuration by which the belt is induced to remain in the center of the belt slot against a tendency to migrate to a bunched-up condition at one end of the belt slot. 
     
     
       2. The guide loop of claim 1 further characterized by the clearance slot having a width less than the width of the belt.